Monthly Archives: January 2012

A nice little coffee cart in Westminster, not far from Buckingham Palace, serves Square Mile Coffee and a triple flat white. The location is pretty handy, because there are not really any noteworthy coffee shops in that general area. Soho might not be far away, but it’s still a bit of a walk if all you do is fancy a nice coffee.

From what I gather, Monmouth is one of the older roasters in London. We went to one of their outlets in Covent Garden, where you could sample all of their coffees to your liking. Quite nice, and their coffee isn’t bad either, but what worried me was the fact that they’re selling them as loose beans. There’s no way of telling how old they are. Still worth a visit though.

Home of a four-headed, custom-built Synesso espresso machine, Flat White is a pretty small shop in Soho, but serves one of the best flat whites all around. No surprises there, it’s in the name after all. Flat White serves Square Mile coffee, they’ve got a special blend made just for them, just like their sister shop Milkbar.

Coffee roaster and great food place. We went to ST.ALi (note the lowercase i) for breakfast on a Saturday. While we were lucky to get seating, there was a very long line outside when we left. Rightly so, because food and coffee are very good. Highly recommended spot for breakfast. You can buy their coffee beans too. Also, their whole place is just beautiful.

Also both roaster and food place in one, we went to Caravan for breakfast on a Monday, when it was understandably empty. Still, food and coffee (I had a very nice Tanzanian brew) are quite good. The toasted bread with avocados and chili flakes left a long-lasting impression on me.

Shoreditch Grind may be located on one of the worst roundabouts in London (there’s apartments on sale here too, in case you’re interested) it’s a great spot to grab a brew and gaze out on the traffic for a minute or two. It’s very warm inside when the sun’s shining in. It’s quite lovely.

Okay, so Railroad may be a bit off the beaten path here, being mainly a restaurant with great food, but they also serve great Square Mile Coffee. Loved their Moroccan eggs. The location is small, but comfy.

Located in the hipster part of Hackney, this is a pretty nice coffee shop, offering their own beans and roasts, though they’re mostly blends. The flat whites are legit, though there’s very likely to be a long line here. Totally worth it though, and sitting outside makes for a nice place to do people watching.

This is the greatest idea for a coffee shop ever. One half is all about bikes, parts and bike repairs, while the other is all about serving great coffee, brewing Square Mile no less. They’re only serving milky espresso beverages, but they’re quite good. You can also buy some merch for your biking or coffee drinking needs.

Doesn’t get much geekier than Prufrock I think, at least in London. Everything’s here from a Trifecta to the woodneck. They’re serving Square Mile Coffee in all kinds of ways you can think of. Plus, there’s an abundance of great cake and a shelf filled with coffee geek accessories. Their main shop in Leather Lane is a must-visit for the aspiring coffee geek.

Being pretty much the only good coffee shop in the neighborhood, the Espresso Room is really just a small room with an espresso machine and some pastries. Great coffee, highly recommended if you’re in the Bloomsbury area, or if you happen to end up in the hospital across the street, which I hope won’t be the case.

We made it here on pretty much the last minute. We had some time to spare until our flight back home, and I had some cash left, so we jumped in a cab, grabbed a coffee, snapped some pictures and headed back to Paddington to catch the next Heathrow Express. Coffee is pretty great, they’re serving both Square Mile and Has Bean coffee.

To be continued…

This list is by no means complete, there’s an abundance of coffee shops in London, but these are the ones we’ve been to and that I found worth mentioning. There’s great little books on coffee shops in London, like The Independent Cafe Guide or The London Coffee Guide. Also very helpful was the London Coffee Map, a handy iPhone app that tells you where the next coffee shop is in case of a caffeine emergency.

And of course, there’s always that simple cup you can enjoy at home. Or in this case, in Mr. Ferry’s London home.